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Date: 7/24/2015
SPRINGFIELD – Matthew Naumec of GreatHorse made it to the semifinals of the 107th Massachusetts Amateur Championship at Oak Hill Country Club.
In match play, Naumec defeated Steven DiLisio, (Salem Country Club), 2 and 1, in the round of 32; Thomas Henderson (Sterling National), 1 up, in the round of 16; to earn the right to play Matt Hills (Hyannis Golf Club) in the quarterfinals.
Naumec defeated Hills, 6 and 4, to make it into the field of four.
Naumec made bogie on his second hole and was 1 down through three holes, but that would be the only time that he would trail in his quarterfinal match against Hills.
Naumec used a four-straight-birdie barrage on the seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th holes to gain a 3-up lead over Hills. He drained an 8-foot putt on the seventh and then hit to mere feet on the next two holes. He then found the green in two on the par-5 10th hole where his birdie putt was conceded. He was 4 up through 10 holes. He then made four straight pars and closed the match out on 14th hole for a 6 and 4 victory.
Naumec ultimately fell in the semifinal round to Patrick Frodigh of Dedham Country And Polo Club 2 and 1.
Naumec made bogie on four of his first five holes to give Frodigh a 3-up cushion.
Frodigh gave two back on the next two holes after missing the green over on the fifth hole and short left on the sixth.
A key moment in the match, however, came on the 8th hole where Frodigh sank a 13-foot birdie putt to win the hole. Naumec burned the edge with his birdie attempt. He backed up that putt by sticking it close to the back hole location on the ninth green to win that hole and take a 3-up lead into the back nine.
Frodigh had to fend off a comeback attempt on that always-dangerous back nine.
Naumec drew within two on the 11th hole when his strategy of using the 10th fairway to obtain a better angle into the 11th green worked perfectly. He was able to find the green in two shots, while Frodigh left his approach short left and then struggled to find the green.
Frodigh made a critical birdie putt on the 12th hole after Naumec landed his approach to two feet.
Naumec drew within one on the very next hole when Frodigh’s par putt found every edge of the hole but stayed out. Naumec was 1 down with five holes to play.
That would be as close as the match would get. Naumec three putted on the 14th hole and then sailed his approach over the green on the 15th hole.
Naumec won the 16th hole with another solid approach, but Frodigh closed out the match with a par on the 17th hole.
Billy Walthouse of Longmeadow Country Club and John Kelly of Twin Hills Country Club also took part in match play, but both were defeated in the first round.
Walthouse also fell to Frodigh, 3 and 2 in the opening round, while Kelly lost, 3 and 2 to Christopher Gentle of Mount Pleasant Golf Club.